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This morning I went for a walk around the Frog Pond in
Fleming Park, Jollimore, HRM. Although the sun was bright the strong
wind was cold, and I was glad that I had a warm sweater under the
goretex, and fleece gloves. It did not feel at all as it should on
the Victoria Day weekend!
It seemed rather quiet at first, and I wondered if the birds
were there, but not active because of the wind, or in fact still
absent. When I reached the stream which flows out of the pond and
downhill towards the Dingle, I heard some birds in the distance, in
the sheltered glen below, so I turned down the Crossland Ice
Trail. I was glad I did, because I soon found a lively flock of
warblers: Black-and-white, Yellow-rumped, Northern Parula, and
Blackpoll. I also found a Red-eyed Vireo, which seemed early. I
spent several hours in the park, often straying off the path in order
to track down a song. I found flocks or individuals of these four
warbler species in many places around the pond. Early on I thought
I heard the buzzy song of a Black-throated Blue Warbler, but it
didn't sing again and I decided I must have been mistaken. Several
hours later Hans Toom and Laura Elliott came by as I was sitting on a
bench and writing my notes. Hans told me that they had seen a
Black-throated Blue in just the place where I had thought I'd heard
one.! So I backtracked and it was worth the detour: I had long looks
at a lovely blue male, and at one point it was in the same binocular
view as a singing Parula. (Thanks, Laura and Hans!) The birds
became more active, like the black flies, as the day warmed up. In
the early afternoon I found a brilliant male Blackburnian Warbler,
which paused briefly in some young growth only five feet from me, at
eye level. Just stunning to watch him sing, so close.
Two Tree Swallows and two Chimney Swifts circled high up
over the pond for a while; I often see these species here in the spring.
Here's a list of some of what I saw and/or heard:
American Black Duck 2 families with ducklings
{one family apparently had a Black Duck mother, Mallard father)
Chimney Swift 2 First I have
seen this year
Belted Kingfisher 1
Northern Flicker 2
Blue-headed Vireo 1, rather quiet First I
have seen this year.
Red-eyed Vireo 1, rather quiet First I
have seen this year.
Tree Swallow 2
Red-breasted Nuthatch 2, tending a nest
Northern Parula 10-12, singing
Black-throated Blue Warbler 1 m, singing First I
have seen this year.
Yellow-rumped Warbler 20 + , singing
Blackburnian Warbler 1 m, singing First I have
seen this year.
Blackpoll Warbler 18+, singing First I have
seen this year.
Black-and-white Warbler 14+, singing First I have
seen this year.
The other usual birds were present, with Blue Jays, Black-capped
Chickadees, Grackles, Juncos, Song Sparrows, and White-throated
Sparrows all singing at times. Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers were
noisy in announcing their presence.
Patricia L. Chalmers
Halifax
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<x-tab> </x-tab>This
morning I went for a walk around the Frog Pond in Fleming Park,
Jollimore, HRM. Although the sun was bright the strong wind was
cold, and I was glad that I had a warm sweater under the goretex, and
fleece gloves. It did not feel at all as it should on the Victoria
Day weekend! <br><br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>It seemed
rather quiet at first, and I wondered if the birds were there, but not
active because of the wind, or in fact still absent. When I reached
the stream which flows out of the pond and downhill towards the Dingle, I
heard some birds in the distance, in the sheltered glen below, so I
turned down the Crossland Ice Trail. I was glad I did, because I
soon found a lively flock of warblers: Black-and-white, Yellow-rumped,
Northern Parula, and Blackpoll. I also found a Red-eyed Vireo,
which seemed early. I spent several hours in the park, often
straying off the path in order to track down a song. I found flocks
or individuals of these four warbler species in many places around the
pond. Early on I thought I heard the buzzy song of a
Black-throated Blue Warbler, but it didn't sing again and I decided I
must have been mistaken. Several hours later Hans Toom and Laura
Elliott came by as I was sitting on a bench and writing my notes.
Hans told me that they had seen a Black-throated Blue in just the place
where I had thought I'd heard one.! So I backtracked and it was
worth the detour: I had long looks at a lovely blue male, and at one
point it was in the same binocular view as a singing Parula.
(Thanks, Laura and Hans!) The birds became more active, like the
black flies, as the day warmed up. In the early afternoon I found a
brilliant male Blackburnian Warbler, which paused briefly in some young
growth only five feet from me, at eye level. Just stunning to watch
him sing, so close.<br><br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>Two Tree
Swallows and two Chimney Swifts circled high up over the pond for a
while; I often see these species here in the spring. <br><br>
Here's a list of some of what I saw and/or heard:<br><br>
<font size=3D3> <x-tab>
</x-tab>American Black
Duck<x-tab> </x-tab><x-tab>
</x-tab>2 families with
ducklings {one family apparently had a Black Duck mother, Mallard
father)<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>Chimney
Swift<x-tab> </x-tab><x-tab>
</x-tab><x-tab>
</x-tab>2<x-tab>
</x-tab><x-tab>
</x-tab>First I have seen
this year<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>Belted
Kingfisher<x-tab> </x-tab><x-tab>
</x-tab>1<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>Northern
Flicker<x-tab> </x-tab>
<x-tab> </x-tab>2<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>
Blue-headed
Vireo<x-tab> </x-tab><x-tab>
</x-tab>1, rather
quiet First I have seen this year.<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>Red-eyed
Vireo<x-tab> </x-tab><x-tab>
</x-tab><x-tab>
</x-tab>1, rather
quiet First I have seen this year.<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>Tree
Swallow<x-tab> </x-tab><x-tab>
</x-tab><x-tab>
</x-tab>2<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>
Red-breasted
Nuthatch<x-tab> </x-tab><x-tab>
</x-tab>2, tending a
nest<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>Northern
Parula<x-tab> </x-tab><x-tab>
</x-tab>10-12,
singing<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>
Black-throated Blue Warbler<x-tab> </x-tab>1
m, singing<x-tab> </x-tab> First I have seen this
year.<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>
Yellow-rumped Warbler<x-tab> </x-tab>20 + , singing<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>
Blackburnian
Warbler<x-tab> </x-tab><x-tab>
</x-tab>1 m,
singing<x-tab> </x-tab>First I have seen this
year.<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>Blackpoll
Warbler
<x-tab> </x-tab><x-tab>
</x-tab>18+,
singing<x-tab> </x-tab>First I have seen this
year.<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>
Black-and-white Warbler
<x-tab> </x-tab>14+,
singing<x-tab> </x-tab>First I have seen this
year.<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab><br>
The other usual birds were present, with Blue Jays, Black-capped
Chickadees, Grackles, Juncos, Song Sparrows, and White-throated Sparrows
all singing at times. Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers were noisy in
announcing their presence.<br><br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>Patricia
L. Chalmers<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>Halifax<br>
<br>
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